Fastener



July 18, 1933. G E PENTICE 1,918,779

FASTENER Filed Aug. 28, '1931 Patented July 18, 1933 PATENT ol-Flcs l GEORGE E. PRENTICE, OF BERLIN, CONNECTICUT FASTENEB Application led August 28, 1931. yterial No. 559,871.

This invention relates to separable fasteners of the general type comprising posed series of fastener elements supported y stringers forming. the edge of the closure slit of an article and having a slider or like instrumentality movable lengthwise of the stringers for engaging and disengaging the elements and thereby opening and closing the device. Fasteners of this kind are commonly provided with stops at each end of the series of fastener elements for limiting movement of the slider, but it has been very diliicult to effect a satisfactory closure adjacent to these end stops. As fasteners of this type require a slider capable of spreading orseparating the elements and hence of getting between them in order positively and definitely to guide and direct the elements for engagement and disengagement, the neck or other portion'of the slider provided for this purpose must remain between the stringers when the fastener is closed. It will be apparent that this feature, which inheres in devices of this character leads to the formation of an objectionable opening at the neck of the slider and beyond the end stops when the slider is against the stops in position to close the fastener. This tendency to form an opening or gap at this point is augmented by various features of usual construction, such as arrangements which result in premature contact of unyielding or metallic parts, for example, the direct contact of the stops either with each other or with the slider, and wherein the flexible stringers supporting the stops permit the latter to yield away from each other and thus fail to maintain the desired snugly fitting relationship requisite for effecting a complete closure. p

Objects of the present invention are generally to improve the construction of fasteners of the class described so as to improve the operation thereof and to overcome diificulties of the kindv just mentioned; and also to provide a. fastener for these purposes of sturdy, durable construction consistingof few parts which may be formed and assembled by relativelyrsiinple manufacturing operations. In accordance with this invention, a separable fastener equipped with a slider having a portion `thereof disposed between the stringers may be arranged to draw the stringers taut and to press the latter snugly against and about the interposed portion or neck of the slider so as to utilize the flexible .to be drawn closely about the neck of the 05 slider by such action as this member arrives at its final position. In this way the stops maybe held solidly against eachother or against the slider by the camming action of these parts and this also provides for maintaining the necessary tension on the stringers to hold the latter rmly in position about the neck of the slider.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a 4plan view of a portion of a 75 separable fastener, illustrating the fastener in partially open position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the fastener in closed position and having parts omitted and broken away for the pur- 3 poses of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a stop member illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4.- is a top edge view of the stop member shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing a stop member in position on a Stringer;

Fig. 6 is a sect1on along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and 4,

F Fig. 7 is a sectionalong the line 7--7 of ign the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration herein and by way of example, the separable fastener 10 comprises stringers 11 and 12 supporting opposed series of fastener elements 13 and 14. These elements may be of any suitable and approved l form and are engageable and disengageable by a slider 16 upon movement of the latter lengthwiseA of the fastening, as is well under- 10 stood in this art. The slider is equipped with a loop 17 which extends through a slot 18 in pull tab 19 and slidably connects the latter to lthe slider. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 7, the opposite wings of the slider are united by a connecting section or neck 21 to which the adjacent end of the loop 17 is secured in any approved manner as by turning the lateral edges of the neck down against the end of the loop to clamp the latter securely in position. The neck portion is disposed between the stringers during use and is effective in direct in and guiding the fastener elements to e ect engagement and disengagement thereof, and in ordinary constructions it is quite difficult to form a satisfactory closure about this neck portion due to its tend-ency to spread or separate the stringers and also to spread the usual stop members apart and thus leave an objectionable gap at this point when the fastener is in closed position.

These objectionable features of prior constructions are overcome lin the resent embodiment by providing stop lnem ers 22 yand 23 of the form illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6. From these views it will be seen that each stop member comprises a sheet of metal or other suitable material which is bent upon itself substantially to U-shape as illustrated in Fig. 4 and adapted to be clamped about the free marginal edge of a Stringer. Preferably the intermediate portion of each stop member is cut away as indicated at 24 in Fig. 3 to provide an opening or recess of adequate size to expose the marginal edge of the flexible Stringer itself for a sufficient distance to enable this edge to be compressed about the neck portion of the slider which is received in the recesses of the opposed stops. The inner or fold edges 26 and 27 of this stop member are preferably aligned andthe outer or free edges 28 and 28 are arranged to incline downwardly and inwardly toward the edge of the Stringer. It will be understood of course that the stop member 23 is formed in a similar manner and is provided with inner fold edges 31 and 32 and with outer inclined edges 33. These stop members are located upon the stringers in opposed relation and secured in the desired posit-ion by clamping the opposite sides of each stop member against the interposed Stringer. The stop members are so positioned that the inner fold edges of one stop member may be brought substantially into contact with the corresponding edges of the opposite member, while the outer or more remote lateral edges 28 and 28 converge or incline toward the slider. The slider which may be of any usual or approved construction has right and left interior surfaces, such as the surfaces 34, which are inclined so as to be substantially complementary to the outer lateral edges of the stop members.

In using the device the slider is operated as usual to open and close the fastener. However, when the slider is moved to a position to effect a complete closure, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the interior surfaces 34 of the slider engage the outer inclined surfaces of the stop members with a camming or wedging action which is effective to force the stop members toward each other, and preferably to bring the fold edges thereof solidly into engagement. The stop members are so spaced along the stringers and the parts are otherwise so proportioned and arranged that the stop members are caused to approach in this manner as the neck portion 21 of the slider comes within the recessed or cut-away portions of the stop members. The stop members are also so set onto the Stringer as to be effective, as they are forced toward each other, to draw taut about the neck portion 2l the exposed edges of the stringers which lie within the recessed portions 24. It will be seen that this operation is effective for compressing the stringers about the neck portion and for holding these exposed marginal edges snugly against and about the neck portion 21 and within the normal path of travel thereof.

A further desirable feature of this construction is that it provides for maintaining the stringers parallel when the fastener is closed so that they do not tend to gap at a point above the stops. It will also be evident that this improved closure is effected automatically without necessitating any particular attention or effort on the part of the user and that the unyielding engagement of the slider with the stop members provides for definitely and positively'positioning the stop members and hence provides for predetermining the tension to be placed on the stringers for compressing the latter and effecting the desired engagement thereof with the neck portion of the slider. Thus these improvements provide for effectively closing or sealing the opening between the stop members and aboutthe neck of the slider, and this is a highly desirable feature.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration -'only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A separable fastener comprising Hexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elements supported by the stringers, the stringers having exposed p'ortions beyond the ends of the respective series of fastener elements, a slider having a neck which is disposed between the stringers, the slider being movable along the stringers for engaging the fastener elements, and wedge means o erable by the slider for drawing taut aboutt portions of the stringers which series of fastener elements.

2. A separable fastener comprising flexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elelie beyond the e slider neck the exposed ments supported by the stringers, the stringers having exposed portions beyond the ends of the respective series of fastener elements, a slider having a neck which is disposed between the stringers, the slider being movable alongthe stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, and cam means operative in at least one position of the slider to draw taut about the slider neck the exposed portions of the stringers which lie beyond the series of fastener elements thereby to close the space about the slider neck. y

3. A separable fastener comprising Hexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elements supported by the stringers, `the stringers extending beyond the corresponding series of fastener elements, a slider having a neck portion disposed between the stringers, the slider being movable along the stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, a stop member mounted on each Stringer beyond the ends of the corresponding series of fastener elements, the free outer edge of each stop member having a recess intermediate its ends thereby to expose a portion of the edge of the stringer, said stop member being operable in one position of the slider Ito hold such exposed parts of the stringers snugly against and around said neck portion at points within the path of travel thereof.

4. A separable fastener comprising iiexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elements supported by the stringers, the stringers extending beyond the corresponding series of fastener elements, a slider having a neck portion disposed between the stringers, the slider being movable along the stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, a stop member mounted on each Stringer beyond the end of the corresponding series of fastener elements, each stop member being so shaped that a portion of the edge of its Stringer is exposed intermediate the ends of the stop member, each stop member having a part engageable by the slider as the latter approaches its fastener closing position thereby to cause the outer free edges of the stops to move into juxtaposed relation and to compress the exposed portions of the stringers about they neck of the slider.

5. A separable fastener comprising flexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elements supported by the stringers, a slider movable along the stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, said slider comprising front and rear wings united by a neck portion, stop members carried by the stringers for limiting movement of the slider, and complementary cam surfaces on the slider and on the stop members for moving the latter toward each other on engagement by the slider, the stop members having recesses in their opposing edges to accommodate the neck. portion of the slider.

6. A separable fastener comprising flexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elements supported by the stringers, a slider movable along the stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, said slider having front and rear wings united by a neck portion, a pair of opposed stop members on the stringers, said stop members having recesses in their opposed edges for the reception of the neck portion of the slider, the stops also having their remote lateral edges converging toward the slider and receivable therein, the slider having surfaces complementary to said lateral edges and adapted on engagement therewith to force the stop members toward each other.

7. A separable fastener comprising Hexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elements supported by the stringers, the

stringers extending beyond the correspondstringers, the slider being movable along the stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, opposed stop members on the stringers at points beyond the ends of the corresponding series of fastener elements, said stop members having their remote lateral edges inclined downwardly toward the edges of the respective stringers, the slider having surfaces substantially complementary to said inclined lateral edges of the stops and adapted by engagement with said lateral edges of the stops to force the latter toward each other so as to bring their free outer edges into substantially parallel juxtaposed relation, said edges being shaped to expose portions of the respective stringers at points intermediate the'ends of the stop members, the inclined lateral edges of the sto s aud the complementary surface of the sli er being so proportioned and arranged that this movement is effective for compressing the stringers against the neck portion of the slider.

8. A separable fastener comprising ilexible stringers, opposed series of fastener elements .supported by the stringers, a slider having a neck portion disposed between the stringers, the slider being movable along the stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, opposed stop members on the stringers having intermediate portions thereof cut away to expose a portion of the free marginal edges of the stringers, the stop members having outer edge portions inclining inwardly toward the slider, the slider having surfaces substantially complementary to said outer edge portions and adapted on engagement therewith to force the stop members toward each other, the parts being so proportioned and arranged that such movement occurs as the neck portion of the vof the Stringer between them for direct con- .tact with a part of an operating slider, the outer ed of the stop inclining toward the edge of t e Stringer.

10. An en'd stop for use on a fastener-carrying Stringer, said Stop consisting of a piece of sheet metal bent Substantially to U- shape, the intermediate portion of the bend being removed whereby to provide spaced clamping members for engagement with the free edge of a Stringer while leaving exposed a portion of said edge intermediate the clamping members.

11. An end stop for use on a fastener carrying Stringer, said Stop consistingof a piece of sheet-material bent to U-Shape and operative to receive and to clamp the free edge of a Stringer within its fold, the central part of the fold being cut away to expose the edge of the Stringer, the outer edge of the stop inclining inwardly toward the free edge of the Stringer on which it is mounted and acting as a cam for cooperation with an actuating slider.

GEORGE E. PRENTICE. 

